AN: And now things are heating up! Welcome to the beginning of the second arc.

Sorry for the late update (and shorter than normal chapter), but we have officially hit the end of what I've already written out – but not the end of what I've planned. So hold on for the ride!

bad moon rising

Jazz has to admit – he's grateful to be running ops again. His team is good, and to waste that good by having them sit around just grates at him. Of course, he probably wouldn't have been sitting around for so long if he had accepted a temporary TO while Prowl was on medical leave, but that's entirely beside the point.

This time it's infiltration – and for once, Prowl isn't in the field with them. The base at Kaon is one of Megatron's most guarded, and to have the entire team inside would be suicide. So this time it's just Jazz, Mirage, and Bee, with Bluestreak on the outskirts of the city for cover and Prowl and Hound at the checkpoint six kilometers away. Close enough to come save all their asses, not close enough to get caught with the rest.

Jazz plants the last of his bombs and pings his teammates over their private, encrypted comm links. ::Ah'm good ta go.:: he says. ::How about ya?::

::We're almost done.:: Mirage replies. ::Bee just needs a few more minutes.::

::You two might want to hurry up.:: Prowl says in amusement. ::They're not going to stay distracted by Blue's diversion for long.::

Jazz can hear Blue's delighted laughter across their link. ::Nope, but for now I have them chasing their tails!::

Jazz almost says something about that – Blue's diversion is almost a sparkling game. He's been launching metal projectiles at the walls of the base, making the guards chase the sounds. It's the kind of prank that Jazz used to pull all the time at the Academy, and it almost makes him laugh to know that their youngling knows the same trick.

Then he senses something behind him, and he twists around, daggers falling into his hands.

Deadshot stands there and grins at him. "I thought I'd find you here."

Jazz hesitates. His instincts scream at him to take care of this, but, well – Deadshot is Prowl's friend. Prowl seemed content to let him walk away, and Jazz has always been content to follow Prowl's lead. Still – "What ya doin' here?"

"Looking for you, actually." Deadshot glances at the bomb, but otherwise doesn't seem perturbed. "I have some information for you and Prowl. Probably Optimus Prime, too. Figured if I hung around here long enough, you guys would make a go at the base."

That's really not the answer Jazz is expecting. He pings Prowl's comm again. ::Prowler?::

::If he says he has information, he does.:: Prowl says, but his voice lacks the ease of before. ::Deadshot's sneaky, but he's never lied outright to me.::

Jazz really could point out that he would actually be lying to Jazz, but he understands the same as Prowl and probably Deadshot. Lying to Jazz is lying to Prowl. Jazz merely inclines his helm. "Ah don' need ta tell ya what Ah'm gonna do ta ya if ya screw us over."

"No."

"Good." Jazz sends out a signal to his bombs. ::Change o' plans. Ya'll got two minutes ta finish up an' get out.::

::You got it, boss.:: Mirage replies. Jazz turns his attention back to Deadshot.

"Follow me, an' stick close." ::Guys, Ah'm bringin' in a tag-a-long. Don' shoot him.::

He doesn't even wait for the affirmative as his team slowly makes their way out of the base and back to the checkout. Bluestreak meets them there, helm tilted to the side in curiosity. "I'm guessing he's not a prisoner?"

"Not for the moment." Prowl appears behind the group and places his hand on Blue's shoulder. "I'm assuming you're not here to defect, Deadshot?"

The other Praxian grins. "That depends on how things go. You might want to register me as a prisoner of war. Maybe I'll make a miraculous escape later, if I don't just defect."

For a moment, no one speaks. As one, the team looks at Prowl. Prowl considers Deadshot for a moment before turning his attention to Jazz. "Not a bad idea, all things considered." he says quietly.

Jazz pings his private comm. ::Prowler?::

::He's not lying about having information, but I only trust him so far.:: Prowl explains quietly. ::If we need to, he won't be making any miraculous escape.::

Jazz just manages to not smirk at that. ::Ah like that plan, Prowler.:: "Come on, Deadshot. We gonna git all of us back ta base, we gotta go now."

They leave the area just as the first of the bombs start to detonate.

/-/

Back at Iacon, Optimus Prime waits for them just outside the base. Ironhide stands to his left. Gunner is there as well, just by the entrance and to Prime's right, somewhat out of sight. Deadshot arches an optic ridge. "It's almost like you don't trust me, Prowl." he murmurs.

Prowl ignores that. He stands to one side of Deadshot, Mirage to the other, both with weapons drawn but not held on the Decepticon between them. Optimus gives them a look before turning his attention to Jazz. "Why did you bring him here?"

Jazz shrugs. "He said he had information fer us." he says bluntly. "Figured we should hear him out."

Optimus nods and turns his attention to Deadshot. "What information do you have?"

"I think this is a conversation best had indoors, Prime." Deadshot says darkly. "I don't want to be overheard."

"I don't think so." Ironhide scowls. "You tell us at least the gist of it, and then we'll decide if we're gonna hear you out or throw you in the brig. Or we'll just toss you there now. Choice is yours, 'Con."

Deadshot slides Prowl a look. Prowl sighs. "I would like to point out that Deadshot isn't exactly an enemy here, Ironhide." he says quietly.

Optimus nods. "I'm aware of some of your shared history." he replies. "But right now, he is a Decepticon, and we need to treat him as such."

Jazz shrugs. "Whatever ya say, Prime. But Ah trust Prowler on this one."

"Of course you do." Gunner says dryly.

Finally, Deadshot sighs. "Fine, whatever." He vents hard, hands clenching into fists.

"Shockwave's back in Iacon. And he's after Prowl."